Bulgarian First Army
Encyclopedia
The Bulgarian First Army was a Bulgaria
n field army
during the Balkan Wars
, World War I
, and World War II
.
The First Army was formed by the First Army Inspectorate, which had its headquarters in Sofia
and controlled the First, Sixth and Seventh divisions. However because of different circumstances the 7th and 6th divisions were detached
from the First Army and replaced by the 3rd and newly formed 10th division, which were otherwise part of the Second Army Inspectorate. Thus after the declaration of general mobilization in September 1912 the army consisted of three infantry division and a cavalry regiment. However only the 3rd division had its full wartime strength of three infantry brigades while the 10th division was formed by one brigade from the 1st division and another one from the 6th division. Hence it was called the "Mixed" division.
The order of battle on 4 of October 1912 O.S. was as follows:
The Bulgarian plan placed the First Army commanded by Lieutenant General Vasil Kutinchev
in the center of the battle line and its task was to advance rapidly, engage the main Ottoman forces positioned between Kirk Kilisse and Adrianople
and position itself so it could assist both the Second Army on the right flank and the Third Army on the left flank. To achieve this as soon as the advance began the 1st Brigade of the 3rd division was temporary assigned to the Second Army while the rest of the army advanced in the space between the two fortresses. In the ensuing Battle of Kirk Kilisse
, in which the Ottoman Eastern Army was defeated and retreated, the First Army bore the brunt of the fighting and suffered the greater part of the 5,745 Bulgarian casualties in that battle. The Bulgarian command ordered a couple of days rest so that the forces can regroup before pursuing the enemy.
When the advance was renewed the First Army left behind the entire 3rd division around Adrianople to protect against attacks from the right flank. The Ottoman Army meanwhile had consolidated and reinforced itself on a new line from Lule Burgas to Bunar Hisar. The Bulgarians decided to carry out a frontal assault with the Third Army while the weakened First Army tried to enveloped the Ottoman left flank. This largest and bloodiest battle of the Balkan Wars
the Bulgarians again emerged victorious and the Ottoman forces retreated in complete disorder. The heavy fighting inflicted around 20,000 casualties to the Bulgarian forces which again forced the Bulgarian command to order a couple of days rest for the armies.
By the time the Bulgarians continued the advance the Ottoman Army had occupied the Chataldzha defensive line were it finally managed to hold its opponent after the battle on 4 and 5 November 1912.
The First and Third Bulgarian armies remained at the Chataldzha line until the end of the war and managed to repel several Ottoman attempted breakthroughs.
the tensions between the allies grew significantly. Serbia and Greece formed a new alliance directed against Bulgaria and the skirmishes between their troops and the much smaller Bulgarian forces that were left behind to protect their country's claims were becoming ever more frequent. In view of this situation the Bulgarian command began transferring its forces from Eastern Thrace to the western part of the country. During this time the organization of the field armies went through some major changes, including the creation of several new brigades and the formation of a new field army.
The First Army, still under the command of Lieutenant General Vasil Kutinchev
, was deployed in the northwestern part of the country between Vidin
and Berkovitsa
, along the old border with Serbia
. It's composition had changed significantly by 15 June 1913 and included two divisions, each with only two brigades,a few cavalry squadrons and an independent infantry brigade.
The Bulgarians planned to begin the war with an offensive in which the First and Third
armies were to advance deep into Old Serbia
and cut the communication and supply lines of the Serbian Army concentrated in Macedonia
.
The conflict however began on 16 June 1913 when only the Fourth
and Second armies were ordered to attack the Serbian and Greek armies. In the ensuing confusion for almost one week the remaining three Bulgarian armies received no orders to attack. It was only on the evening of 21 June when the First Army was ordered to advance against the town of Knjaževac
and after it had occupied it to divide its forces in two with one part to be directed against Zaječar
and the other one send to assist the Third army around Pirot
.
Facing the First Army was the Timok Army of 31 battalions and 12 gun batteries - mostly third line infantry, commanded by colonel Vukuman Arachich. The Bulgarians managed to defeat part of these forces and occupy Knjaževac
while suffering only 280 men killed and 820 men wounded.
Meanwhile Romania had declared war on Bulgaria and its army had begun invading the northern part of the country. This new enemy threatened the rear of the First Army and forced the Bulgarian high command to order its retreat back to the border.
That move had a very negative effect on the morale of the troops and even caused opened mutinies in the Ninth Division which became completely disorganized during the retreat. The situation was particularly bad in the division's Second Brigade which surrendered to the Romanian forces around Montana
. The rest of the Ninth managed to retreat to Sofia and later form the Samokov detachment which took an important part in the Battle of Kresna Gorge
. The rest of the army also retreated towards Sofia
and took defensive positions in the Balkan mountain passes. The Serbians took advantage of this and occupied Belogradchik
where they established contact with the Romanian Army. Even though by now most of northwestern Bulgaria was lost, General Kutinchev kept a few battalions in the fortress of Vidin
which managed to hold off all Serbian attacks
until the end of the war.
The Bulgarian high command now planned a decisive offensive operation against the Greek Army which was advancing in the Kresna Gorge. For that purpose Lieutenant General Vasil Kutinchev
was assigned commander of the Second Army and the units of the First Army were transferred south to reinforce it.
A general armistice was concluded on 18 July 1913 and ten days later the Treaty of Bucharest, which stipulated immediate demobilization of the Bulgarian Army, was signed.
and on the Eastern Front
their Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive ended in major defeat for the Russians. Under these circumstances on 6 September (24 August) 1915 at the German military headquarters in Pleß
Bulgaria and Germany signed a treaty of alliance. A military convention, which included Austria-Hungary as a third party and laid the plan for the conquest of Serbia
, was also concluded.
In accordance with the convention Bulgaria began mobilizing and concentrating its forces its western border. For the campaign the Bulgarian high command planned to attack Serbia with two armies. The First Army under the command of Lieutenant General Kliment Boyadzhiev
was deployed between the Danube
and Tran
. As stipulated by the military convention it was part of Army Group Mackensen
together with the German Eleventh Army
and the Austro-Hungarian Third Army.
On 1 October(14 October) 1915 the army had the following organization:
The Serbians were informed about the Bulgarian war preparations by their military attaché in Sofia
and the units covering the border between the two countries. Once Bulgaria declared mobilization the Serbian High Command planned a preemptive strike against the Bulgarian forces who were still concentrating and organizing on the border. For that purpose it deployed the entire Second Army
, the Timok Army, the Kraina detachment and the Vlasinski detachment against the sector of the Bulgarian First Army. These were seizable forces of around 100 battalions with 90,000 rifleman, 248 cannons and 94 machine guns. In addition the Serbians also had a defensive alliance with Greece and hoped the Greek Army would also intervene but in case it didn't it was hoped that the Allies were willing to give assistance in the form of a 150,000 strong army. The Entente however couldn't provide the troops immediately and preferred to wait until the eventual Bulgarian attack.
On 1 October(14 October) 1915 Bulgaria declared war on Serbia and the First Army was ordered to begin its Morava Offensive. Its primary objectives were to push the Serbian forces out of the Timok
and Morava
valleys, to link up with Austo-Hungarian forces advancing from Orşova
and secure the Belgrade - Sofia railway by capturing Niš
, war-time capital of Serbia.
The Bulgarian Army crossed the border on October 11 But the first two weeks of the offensive the advance was slow as the divisions of the army operated independently towards achieving their individual objectives. In the southern sector the "Sofia" infantry division was engaged in heavy fighting with parts of the Serbian Second Army and failed to take Pirot
. However the Bulgarian advance in the north was proceeding more rapidly and the taking of Knjaževac
by the "Tundzha" division eventually forced the Serbians to pull out of Pirot
in order to avoid encirclement. This was a minor success for the Bulgarians which captured 14 cannons and c. 1,500 prisoners but the main Serbian forces were allowed to retreat in good order.
Faced with the war on several fronts the Serbian High Command decided that it is best for the army to try to hold its opponents for as long as possible and retreat slowly to the south, southwest until help arrived from the Allies who had landed in Thesaloniki. Under these circumstances the renewed drive of the Bulgarian Army faced determined resistance but it was not enough to prevent the fall of Aleksinac
and on 23 October(5 November) 1915 the 9th "Pleven" division entered Niš
where the Serbians had left some 42 old fortress cannons, several thousand rifles and a big amount of ammunitions, in addition around 5,000 soldiers surrendered or were captured by the Bulgarians. The Belgrade - Sofia railway was now opened for the Central Powers and a permanent land connection was established. The Serbians however managed to destroy the bridges of the Morava
river and slowed significantly the Bulgarian First Army which spend the time between 24 and 31 October in unsuccessful attempts to cross the river. This marked the end of the Morava Offensive.
Having suffered heavy loses the Serbian Army retreated towards Kosovo
where they prepared to make their last stand. The Central Powers meanwhile prepared a plan to encircle the Serian forces. The Bulgarian High Command and the headquarters of Army Group "Mackensen" agreed to pursue relentlessly the retreating opponent, to cut its possible retreat routes through Macedonia and to undertake a decisive advance towards Pristina
and prevent a Serbian retreat to the west. The plan required the Bulgarian First Army to attack from the east, a detached part of the Second Bulgarian Army from the South, the Eleventh army
from the north and finally the main forces of the Third Army from the northwest while its XIX Army Corps blocks any Serbian retreat to the west. However after the fall of Niš
the Germans began pulling out some of their forces from the Balkans
and the Bulgarian Sixth and Ninth divisions had been slowed by the swollen waters of the Morava
and the destruction of its bridges. In these circumstances on 1 November the Central Powers began the Kosovo Offensive.
Contrary to the intentions of generalfeldmarschall
Mackensen the advance of his armygroup proved to be difficult and slow due to bad roads, lack of supplies and the cold weather. This allowed the Serbians to gradually retreat in good order further into Kosovo
and to concentrate greater forces against the Northern Operations Group of the Second Bulgarian Army in an attempt to breakthrough and join the French and British forces advancing up the Vardar
valley. In view of these events on 6 November the 8th "Tundzha" division left the First Army and was placed under the command of the Northern Operations Group while the 6th "Bdin" division was ordered to redeploy around Blagoevgrad
and Dupnitsa under the direct control of the Bulgarian high command. The exhausted Serbians failed to achieve their aims and in the face of the continued advance of the Bulgarian forces towards Pristina
from the east and the south ordered a general withdrawal . On 10 November the 9th "Pleven" division and the German 101st division
entered the town but the successful retreat of the Serbian Army on the right bank of the river Sitnica
meant that its attempted encirclement had failed. This ended the second phase of the campaign.
After the defeat in Kosovo
the remnants of the Serbian Army began its retreat through Albania
to the Adriatic coast. The Germans thought that the campaign was over and continued pulling out their troops from the front while the pursuit of the retreating opponent was left mostly to Bulgarian and Austro-Hungarian forces. On 24 November the 3rd "Balkan" division took Prizren
and was placed under the command of the First Army. With the end of the campaign a general order for the regrouping of all Bulgarian forces was issued.The 9th division was moved to Skopje
-Prilep
area, the 1st "Sofia" division was ordered to concentrate around Kratovo, where it would remain under the direct control of the Bulgarian high command. The Cavalry division and the 8th "Tunzha" infantry division were also ordered to join the First Army.
remained concerned about the increasing Allied presence in Greece
and insisted upon an attack on Salonika. Instead on 9 February 1916 during a meeting in the German military headquarters in Pleß
he and the Chief of the General Staff von Falkenhayn
agreed to begin fortifying the positions that were already taken on the Greek boarder and to resolve the question of an offensive latter.
Since December 1915 the Bulgarian First Army consisted of the 8th, 9th, 3rd infantry divisions and the cavalry divisions and occupied a 140 kilometer front, from Debar
and Struga
to the bend of the river Cherna and the Vardar
. It remained part of Army Group "Mackensen", which had its headquarters in Skopje
, together with the Bulgarian 5th "Danube" division, the German 4th Reserve Corps and the German 210th composite brigade which formed the Eleventh Army
.
In the spring of 1916 as the Allies had finished fortifying the area around Salonica and it became obvious that no Bulgarian and German offensive was going to take place, the French and British forces moved up to the Greek boarder where they established contact with the Bulgarian forces. In the beginning of April the positions of the Eleventh Army were subjected to heavy artillery shelling and field marshal Mackensen requested the 9th "Pleven" infantry division to be given to that army so that it can consolidate its position. General Zhekov
agreed and ordered the division to leave the First Army, join the Eleventh Army and concentrate behind the German 4th Corps.
By 1 June the Entente forces were additionally strengthened by the arrival of some 115,488 Serbian soldiers, which were organized in three corps-sized formations called armies. The Allies now had over 313,000 troops in the theater which increased the Bulgarian concerns. By July Romania
was preparing to enter the war on the side of the Entente
which placed Bulgaria in a difficult position facing a possible war on two fronts and in the beginning of August the French and British launched an offensive against the Bulgarian positions at Lake Dojran
which convinced the Bulgarian high command that the Allies were preparing a general offensive. To counter these negative developments the Bulgarians planned an offensive of their own with both their flanks aiming to shorten the front line and influence Romania in its decision to enter the war.
The advance on the right flank was to be undertaken by the Bulgarian First Army which had the following order of battle in July 1916:
The Germans finally agreed that an offensive was needed and on 12 August general Boyadzhiev received his orders from the headquarters of Army Group "Mackensen". Ther right wing of the army, consisting of the reinforced 8th infantry division (four and half infantry brigades,) was to advance and take Lerin
while parts of the 3rd division towards the Chegan mountain range and the village of the same name. General Boyadzhiev agreed to attack but had concerns regarding the final results of the offensive because his army was scattered on a 140 km front and lacked enough mountain and heavy artillery.
Facing the Bulgarians were the six infantry and one cavalry divisions of the three Serbian armies.
The offensive began on 17 August 1916 with the Bulgarians taking Lerin
, Banitsa
and Kastoria
. The advance however soon ran into difficulty and slowed down considerably due to the increased Serbian resistance. The fighting was especially heavy on the bare rocky slopes of the Chegan Mountain and the Nidže
. The Serbians were constantly reinforced with new artillery and fresh troops thanks to railway that reached the battlefield while the Bulgarians soon began depleting their ammunition stocks. This and the slow advance forced the Bulgarian high command to call off all attacks on 27 August and order the forces to dig in on the occupied positions between Lake Ostrovo
, Lake Petrovsko and along the ridges of the Nidže
. For the next several days the Bulgarian positions were subjected to heavy artillery fire and few Serbian attacks that were repulsed. The so called Chegan Offensive also known as the Lerin
Offensive had failed. It failed to influence Romania which entered the war on the side of the Allies
but also failed to achieve its final military objective to take the Chegan village and the pass north of Lake Ostrovo
.
General Maurice Sarrail
now prepared a counter attack against the First Bulgarian Army that would eventually develop in the Monastir Offensive
. The blow was to be directed against the right wing of the First Army which consisted of the Third infantry brigade of the 6th "Bdin" division, the Third cavalry brigade and the 8th "Tundzha" and First infantry brigade of the Third "Balkan" infantry division or in total about 36 infantry battalions, 74 machine guns and 35 artillery batteries. Against them were arrayed the Serbian Third Army
and the divisional group of general Cordonnier.
The offensive began with the battle of Malka Nidzhe
on 12 September 1916. After two days of fighting the Serbians achieved a breakthrough around Gornichevo
and forced the Bulgarian 8th division to retreat. Meanwhile the battle for Kajmakcalan
also began. The fall of Lerin
on 23 September and the retreat of the Bulgarian First Army forced some changes in the Central powers
command structure. On 27 September general Kliment Boyadzhiev
was replaced as commander of the First Army by general Dimitur Geshov. The Army itself exchanged headquarters with the Eleventh Army
, now under the command of general Arnold von Winkler, and came under the new Army Group "Below
", replacing Army Group "Mackensen" which was dissolved on the Macedonian Front on 30 July 1916 as field marshal Mackensen was needed in Northern Bulgaria to take command of the forces concentrating for the operations against Romania. The former units of the First Army, now under German command, continued fighting around Monastir
till December when the Allied offensive was finally halted.
The new Bulgarian First Army now consisted of the Fifth "Danube" Infantry Division on the western bank of the Vardar
, the Ninth "Pleven" Infantry Division between the Vardar and Lake Dojran, one brigade from the Eleventh "Macedonian" Infantry Division from Lake Dojran to the Belasica
Mountain. For the rest of 1916 its sector saw only secondary fighting.
On 21 April 1917 general Otto von Below
was called to the Western Front
and was replaced by general Friedrich von Scholtz
who established a new army group bearing his name and composed of the Eleventh and First armies.
During that time general Maurice Sarrail
attempted a new offensive aiming to break the Macedonian Front. The British were the first to attack the Ninth "Pleven" Division around Lake Dojran on 22 April. They were followed by the Serbians and the French who attack through the Cherna Loop in May. This offensive however proved a big disappointment as the French who took the Yarebichina peak from the Fifth "Danube" Division were driven back by the Bulgarians and the British suffered a heavy defeat in the Second Battle of Dojran
. By 23 May the offensive was canceled and the Allies began fortifying their positions in expectation of a Bulgarian counter-offensive which never came. Then for a period of almost one year there were only a few local actions along the entire front.
By 1918 the Bulgarian positions in Macedonia had deteriorated drastically as the morale of the forces decreased due to lack of supplies and ammunition. Then in May the positions of the First Army in the sector of the Fifth Division were attacked by the Greek Army, which had officially joined the Allied forces in 1917. In the ensuing Battle of Skra-di-Legen at the peak of Yarebichina the Bulgarians lost almost their entire 49th Infantry Regiment. This victory was of little strategic value to the Allies but it sapped the morale
of the Bulgarian troops in the sector. After the battle general Nikola Zhekov
, general Sholtz and crown prince
Boris
arrived at the headquarters of the Fifth Division to inquire for the causes of the defeat. They reinforced the division with the 80th infantry regiment and planned a demonstrative attack along the Struma
by the Second Army
in order to retake the heights. The plan however never went into action as the morale of the forces in the Fifth Division was so low that an attack was impossible. General Zhekov then sought to remedy the situations by replacing the commander of the First Army general Dimitur Geshov with the former commander of the Ninth "Pleven" Division general Stefan Nerezov
.
Morale in some parts of the front however remained critical as news about German misfortunes in the Western Front reached the troops on the Balkans
the few remaining German troops in Macedonia were being pulled out and the deprivations in the Bulgarian Army continued. The new commander of the Allied Salonica forces Franchet d'Esperey planned to take advantage of this by organizing a new great offensive in Macedonia. For that purpose he gathered a force of 28 divisions or between 670,000 and 717,000 men with over 2,000 artillery pieces, 2609 machine guns and 200 airplanes. The main blow was to be delivered against the German Eleventh Army, which by now consisted almost entirely by Bulgarian units at Dobro Pole, with secondary attacks to the west around Bitola
and to the east against the Bulgarian First Army at Lake Doiran .
In September 1918 the First Army had the following order of battle:
For the operations against the Bulgarian First Army the Allied command designated the forces of general Milne
. Those consisted of 4 British and 2 Greek infantry divisions or about 66 battalions with 300 artillery pieces and 400 machine guns. General Milne decided to deliver his main blow against the 9th Division while a secondary attack was planned against the 1st brigade of the 11th Infantry Division.
The Allied Vardar Offensive
opened on 15 September 1918 with the Battle of Dobro Pole
and after a relative short struggle a breakthrough was achieved. On the next day at Lake Doiran the Allies began a two-day artillery barrage
in which more than 300,000 ordinary and gas shells were fired on the Bulgarian positions. Unlike at Dobro Pole however the troops in the Doiran sector preserved their high morale due to the personal inspection of the battlefield that the army commander general Nerezov made and the skillful leadership of the commander of the division general Vladimir Vazov
. In addition the two commanders had regrouped their forces in such a way that a sufficient reserve of two regiments was immediately available. The modern and well build fortifications also made the casualties from the barrage extremely low. So when the Allied infantry began advancing the Bulgarians were ready to meet them with all their available forces. The result was a two-day bloody battle in which the British and Greeks suffered a heavy defeat. In fact the victory was so encouraging that general Nerezov was preparing for a counter-attack with his army supported by the neighboring Second Army
which until now had remained completely inactive. In addition he could also rely on the Fourth Army
, further down the Struma
. In this decisive moment on 19 September the acting commander-in-chief general Georgi Todorov
met with general Friedrich von Scholtz
to decide what to do. The question of a counter offensive with the right wing of the Eleventh Army and the Bulgarian First Army was put forward but was quickly dismissed by the Germans as impossible. In addition no real reinforcements from them were going to arrive on time. During this period of hesitation the danger to the right flank of the First Army grew and it was finally ordered to retreat. The defeated British took advantage of this and began perusing. In the next several days the situation deteriorated and several thousand Bulgarian soldiers revolted and headed towards Sofia
and on 27 September they proclaimed the overthrow of the monarchy. During this time the Bulgarian government was under pressure from all sides and finally decided to begin negotiations so on 29 September the Salonika Armistice was concluded. The First Army was demobilized on 15 October 1918.
, under Tsar
Boris III, allied itself with Adolf Hitler
's Germany
, entered the regained Southern Dobrudja, and captured Thrace
, and much of Macedonia
in the process. In the Bulgarian Army, there were four or five field armies, including the First Army, and some 30 divisions. In the spring of 1942, Hitler requested Boris' help controlling occupied Serbia
. The Tsar allowed the Führer to use his First Army, and so the First Army began its occupation duty in Yugoslavia
, which was full of partisans and resistance.
reached the northern border of Bulgaria
. Bulgarians
continued fighting the guerrillas in Thrace
and Macedonia
, but also turned their guns on the Germans
. By the end of the month the First Army, together with the Bulgarian Second
and Fourth Armies, was in full-scale combat against the German Army
along the Bulgaria
-Yugoslavia
border, with Yugoslavia
n guerrillas on their left flank and a Soviet
force on their right. At this time the First Army consisted of three 10,000-men divisions.
By December 1944, the First Army numbered 99,662 men. The First Army took part in the Bulgarian Army's advance northwards into the Balkan Peninsula with logistical support and under command of the Red Army
. The First Army, along with the rest of the Bulgaria
n forces, advanced into Hungary
and Austria
in the spring of 1945, despite heavy casualties and bad conditions in the winter. Because of the army's equipment shortages, on March 14, 1945, the Soviets agreed to provide the Bulgarians 344 aircraft, 65 T-34 tanks, 410 guns, 115 anti-aircraft guns, 370 mortars, 370 transport vehicles, and some 30,000 small arms, all free of charge.
During 1944-45, the Bulgarian First Army was commanded by Lieutenant-General Vladimir Stoychev
.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n field army
Field army
A Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....
during the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
First Balkan War
Following the military reforms of 1907 the territory of the Bulgarian Kingdom was divided into three Army Inspectorates. Each of them was further divided into three division districts and in war time formed a field army.The First Army was formed by the First Army Inspectorate, which had its headquarters in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
and controlled the First, Sixth and Seventh divisions. However because of different circumstances the 7th and 6th divisions were detached
from the First Army and replaced by the 3rd and newly formed 10th division, which were otherwise part of the Second Army Inspectorate. Thus after the declaration of general mobilization in September 1912 the army consisted of three infantry division and a cavalry regiment. However only the 3rd division had its full wartime strength of three infantry brigades while the 10th division was formed by one brigade from the 1st division and another one from the 6th division. Hence it was called the "Mixed" division.
The order of battle on 4 of October 1912 O.S. was as follows:
| Battalions | Men | Rifles | Machine guns | Cannons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army Staff and Services | 1,439 | 424 | |||
| First "Sofia" Infantry Division | 17 | 24,976 | 17,885 | 16 | 60 |
| Third "Balkan" Infantry Division | 25 | 34,991 | 25,106 | 24 | 72 |
| Tenth "Mixed" Infantry Division | 17 | 23,693 | 17,269 | 16 | 48 |
| Ninth Cavalry Regiment | 504 | 373 | |||
| Supply Trains | 3,000 | ||||
| Total | 59 | 88,603 | 61,067 | 56 | 180 |
The Bulgarian plan placed the First Army commanded by Lieutenant General Vasil Kutinchev
Vasil Kutinchev
Vasil Ivanov Kutinchev was a Bulgarian officer. He began his military career in 1879 after graduating from the Military School in Sofia...
in the center of the battle line and its task was to advance rapidly, engage the main Ottoman forces positioned between Kirk Kilisse and Adrianople
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
and position itself so it could assist both the Second Army on the right flank and the Third Army on the left flank. To achieve this as soon as the advance began the 1st Brigade of the 3rd division was temporary assigned to the Second Army while the rest of the army advanced in the space between the two fortresses. In the ensuing Battle of Kirk Kilisse
Battle of Kirk Kilisse
The Battle of Kirk Kilisse or Battle of Kirkkilise or Battle of Lozengrad was part of the First Balkan War between the armies of Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire. It took place on 24 October 1912, when the Bulgarian army defeated an Ottoman army in Eastern Thrace.The initial clashes were around...
, in which the Ottoman Eastern Army was defeated and retreated, the First Army bore the brunt of the fighting and suffered the greater part of the 5,745 Bulgarian casualties in that battle. The Bulgarian command ordered a couple of days rest so that the forces can regroup before pursuing the enemy.
When the advance was renewed the First Army left behind the entire 3rd division around Adrianople to protect against attacks from the right flank. The Ottoman Army meanwhile had consolidated and reinforced itself on a new line from Lule Burgas to Bunar Hisar. The Bulgarians decided to carry out a frontal assault with the Third Army while the weakened First Army tried to enveloped the Ottoman left flank. This largest and bloodiest battle of the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
the Bulgarians again emerged victorious and the Ottoman forces retreated in complete disorder. The heavy fighting inflicted around 20,000 casualties to the Bulgarian forces which again forced the Bulgarian command to order a couple of days rest for the armies.
By the time the Bulgarians continued the advance the Ottoman Army had occupied the Chataldzha defensive line were it finally managed to hold its opponent after the battle on 4 and 5 November 1912.
The First and Third Bulgarian armies remained at the Chataldzha line until the end of the war and managed to repel several Ottoman attempted breakthroughs.
Second Balkan War
In the aftermath of the First Balkan WarFirst Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
the tensions between the allies grew significantly. Serbia and Greece formed a new alliance directed against Bulgaria and the skirmishes between their troops and the much smaller Bulgarian forces that were left behind to protect their country's claims were becoming ever more frequent. In view of this situation the Bulgarian command began transferring its forces from Eastern Thrace to the western part of the country. During this time the organization of the field armies went through some major changes, including the creation of several new brigades and the formation of a new field army.
The First Army, still under the command of Lieutenant General Vasil Kutinchev
Vasil Kutinchev
Vasil Ivanov Kutinchev was a Bulgarian officer. He began his military career in 1879 after graduating from the Military School in Sofia...
, was deployed in the northwestern part of the country between Vidin
Vidin
Vidin is a port town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Serbia and Romania, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin...
and Berkovitsa
Berkovitsa
Berkovitsa is a town and ski resort in northwestern Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Berkovitsa Municipality, Montana Province and is close to the town of Varshets...
, along the old border with Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. It's composition had changed significantly by 15 June 1913 and included two divisions, each with only two brigades,a few cavalry squadrons and an independent infantry brigade.
| Battalions | Men | Rifles | Cannons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army Staff | 713 | |||
| Fifth "Danube" Infantry Division | 14 | 20,097 | 18,680 | 48 |
| Ninth "Pleven" Infantry Division | 16 | 26,740 | 22,284 | 32 |
| Independеnt Brigade | 8 | 9,139 | 5,782 | 28 |
| Total | 38 | 56,689 | 46,746 | 108 |
The Bulgarians planned to begin the war with an offensive in which the First and Third
Third Army(Bulgaria)
The Bulgarian Third Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II.-Balkan Wars:After 1907, during times of peace, the territory of Bulgaria was divided into three army inspectorates, each one comprising three divisional district. During war they formed three...
armies were to advance deep into Old Serbia
Old Serbia
Old Serbia is a modern name for the territory which was the core of medieval Serbia. It included Raška , Kosovo and Metohija and the Macedonia...
and cut the communication and supply lines of the Serbian Army concentrated in Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
.
The conflict however began on 16 June 1913 when only the Fourth
Fourth Army (Bulgaria)
The Bulgarian Fourth Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II....
and Second armies were ordered to attack the Serbian and Greek armies. In the ensuing confusion for almost one week the remaining three Bulgarian armies received no orders to attack. It was only on the evening of 21 June when the First Army was ordered to advance against the town of Knjaževac
Knjaževac
Knjaževac is a town and municipality situated in the eastern part of Serbia bordering the Republic of Bulgaria and is part of Timočka Krajina region. It is found between the latitudes of 43°20' and 43°45' north and between the longitudes 22°11' and 22°41' east. The town is situated between three...
and after it had occupied it to divide its forces in two with one part to be directed against Zaječar
Zajecar
Zaječar is a city and municipality in the eastern part of Serbia. According to the 2011 census the town has a population of 36,830, and its coordinates are 43.91° North, 22.30° East...
and the other one send to assist the Third army around Pirot
Pirot
Pirot is a town and municipality located in south-eastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 38,432, while the population of the municipality is 57,911...
.
Facing the First Army was the Timok Army of 31 battalions and 12 gun batteries - mostly third line infantry, commanded by colonel Vukuman Arachich. The Bulgarians managed to defeat part of these forces and occupy Knjaževac
Knjaževac
Knjaževac is a town and municipality situated in the eastern part of Serbia bordering the Republic of Bulgaria and is part of Timočka Krajina region. It is found between the latitudes of 43°20' and 43°45' north and between the longitudes 22°11' and 22°41' east. The town is situated between three...
while suffering only 280 men killed and 820 men wounded.
Meanwhile Romania had declared war on Bulgaria and its army had begun invading the northern part of the country. This new enemy threatened the rear of the First Army and forced the Bulgarian high command to order its retreat back to the border.
That move had a very negative effect on the morale of the troops and even caused opened mutinies in the Ninth Division which became completely disorganized during the retreat. The situation was particularly bad in the division's Second Brigade which surrendered to the Romanian forces around Montana
Montana, Bulgaria
- Elite High Scools :*Foreign Language HS "Petar Bogdan". Emphasis on English and German language proficiency. Recognized and praised for its scholars' academic accomplishments worldwide. http://gpchemont.com/sitegpche/...
. The rest of the Ninth managed to retreat to Sofia and later form the Samokov detachment which took an important part in the Battle of Kresna Gorge
Battle of Kresna Gorge
The Battle of Kresna Gorge was fought in 1913 between the Greeks and the Bulgarians during the Second Balkan War.After the Serbian front became static, and seeing that the Bulgarian Army in his front had already suffered defeat, King Constantine ordered the Greek Army to march further into...
. The rest of the army also retreated towards Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
and took defensive positions in the Balkan mountain passes. The Serbians took advantage of this and occupied Belogradchik
Belogradchik
Belogradchik is a town in Vidin Province, Northwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of the homonymous Belogradchik Municipality. The town, whose name literally means "small white town," is situated in the foothills of the Balkan Mountains just east of the Serbian border and about 50 km...
where they established contact with the Romanian Army. Even though by now most of northwestern Bulgaria was lost, General Kutinchev kept a few battalions in the fortress of Vidin
Vidin
Vidin is a port town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Serbia and Romania, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin...
which managed to hold off all Serbian attacks
Battle of Vidin
The Siege of Vidin was an attempt of the Serbian army to seize the Bulgarian city of Vidin during the Second Balkan War. The siege took place between the 12th and 18 July 1913.-References:...
until the end of the war.
The Bulgarian high command now planned a decisive offensive operation against the Greek Army which was advancing in the Kresna Gorge. For that purpose Lieutenant General Vasil Kutinchev
Vasil Kutinchev
Vasil Ivanov Kutinchev was a Bulgarian officer. He began his military career in 1879 after graduating from the Military School in Sofia...
was assigned commander of the Second Army and the units of the First Army were transferred south to reinforce it.
A general armistice was concluded on 18 July 1913 and ten days later the Treaty of Bucharest, which stipulated immediate demobilization of the Bulgarian Army, was signed.
Conquest of Serbia
With the outbreak of the Great War Bulgaria declared neutrality, as it still hadn't recovered from the losses suffered in the Balkan Wars. In 1915 activities in the diplomatic arena intensified and both the Entente and the Central powers tried to win new allies, especially in the Balkans. Bulgaria's main aim was to regain Macedonia but Serbia was unwilling to make any compromises which gave the German diplomacy a great advantage. The general military situation also favored the Central Powers - the Germans were holding firm on the Western FrontWestern Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
and on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
their Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive ended in major defeat for the Russians. Under these circumstances on 6 September (24 August) 1915 at the German military headquarters in Pleß
Pszczyna
Pszczyna is a town in southern Poland with 26,827 inhabitants within the immediate gmina rising to 50,121 inhabitants in the powiat, which includes the town of Pszczyna, itself, Brzeźce , Czarków , Ćwiklice , Jankowice , Łąka , Piasek , Poręba , Rudołtowice , Studzionka , Studzienice , Wisła...
Bulgaria and Germany signed a treaty of alliance. A military convention, which included Austria-Hungary as a third party and laid the plan for the conquest of Serbia
Serbian Campaign (World War I)
The Serbian Campaign was fought from late July 1914, when Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia at the outset of the First World War, until late 1915, when the Macedonian Front was formed...
, was also concluded.
In accordance with the convention Bulgaria began mobilizing and concentrating its forces its western border. For the campaign the Bulgarian high command planned to attack Serbia with two armies. The First Army under the command of Lieutenant General Kliment Boyadzhiev
Kliment Boyadzhiev
Kliment Boyadzhiev was a Bulgarian General during the Balkan Wars and First World War.Born in Ohrid, he studied in an elementary school there. After the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878 he emigrated to Sofia...
was deployed between the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and Tran
Tran, Bulgaria
Tran |thorn]]") is a small town in Pernik Province, western Bulgaria. It is 27 kilometres away from the town of Breznik and 15 km from the border with Serbia....
. As stipulated by the military convention it was part of Army Group Mackensen
August von Mackensen
Anton Ludwig August von Mackensen , born August Mackensen, was a German soldier and field marshal. He commanded with success during the First World War and became one of the German Empire's most prominent military leaders. After the Armistice, Mackensen was interned for a year...
together with the German Eleventh Army
11th Army (Germany)
The 11th Army was a World War I and a World War II field army.-World War I:The 11th Army was formed in early 1915. It briefly fought on the Western Front during the Battle of Ypres, holding the line against the allied attack...
and the Austro-Hungarian Third Army.
On 1 October(14 October) 1915 the army had the following organization:
| Battalions | Squadrons | Men | Rifles | Machine guns | Cannons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army Staff and Services | 2,165 | 593 | ||||
| First "Sofia" Infantry Division | 23 | 1,5 | 44,270 | 25,921 | 24 | 111 |
| First Cavalry Brigade | 3 | 8 | 6,204 | 3966 | 8 | 30 |
| Sixth "Bdin" Infantry Division | 23 | 5,5 | 48,022 | 26,887 | 28 | 119 |
| Eight "Tundzha" Infantry Division | 23 | 1,5 | 45,978 | 27,146 | 24 | 88 |
| Ninth "Pleven" Infantry Division | 23 | 1,5 | 44,712 | 27,832 | 24 | 74 |
| Border Guards | 4 | 4,269 | 4224 | |||
| Total | 99 | 18 | 195,620 | 116,569 | 108 | 422 |
The Serbians were informed about the Bulgarian war preparations by their military attaché in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
and the units covering the border between the two countries. Once Bulgaria declared mobilization the Serbian High Command planned a preemptive strike against the Bulgarian forces who were still concentrating and organizing on the border. For that purpose it deployed the entire Second Army
Second Army (Serbia)
The Serbian Second Army was a Serbian field army that fought during World War I.During the First Balkan War, the Second Army participated in the Battle of Kumanovo along with the Serbian First Army and the Serbian Third Army and was deployed in the area around Kyustendil...
, the Timok Army, the Kraina detachment and the Vlasinski detachment against the sector of the Bulgarian First Army. These were seizable forces of around 100 battalions with 90,000 rifleman, 248 cannons and 94 machine guns. In addition the Serbians also had a defensive alliance with Greece and hoped the Greek Army would also intervene but in case it didn't it was hoped that the Allies were willing to give assistance in the form of a 150,000 strong army. The Entente however couldn't provide the troops immediately and preferred to wait until the eventual Bulgarian attack.
On 1 October(14 October) 1915 Bulgaria declared war on Serbia and the First Army was ordered to begin its Morava Offensive. Its primary objectives were to push the Serbian forces out of the Timok
Timok
-Places:*Timočka Krajina, a region in Serbia*Timok , a river in Serbia and Bulgaria**Beli Timok, a river in Serbia**Trgoviški Timok, a river in Serbia**Svrljiški Timok, a river in Serbia**Crni Timok, a river in Serbia-Other:...
and Morava
Morava
Morava is a Slavic river name. It may refer to:Rivers:* Great Morava in central Serbia** South Morava , tributary of the Great Morava** West Morava , tributary of the Great Morava...
valleys, to link up with Austo-Hungarian forces advancing from Orşova
Orsova
Orșova is a port city on the Danube river in southwestern Romania's Mehedinți County. It is one of four localities in the county located in the Banat historical region. It is situated just above the Iron Gates, on the spot where the Cerna River meets the Danube.- History :The first documented...
and secure the Belgrade - Sofia railway by capturing Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
, war-time capital of Serbia.
The Bulgarian Army crossed the border on October 11 But the first two weeks of the offensive the advance was slow as the divisions of the army operated independently towards achieving their individual objectives. In the southern sector the "Sofia" infantry division was engaged in heavy fighting with parts of the Serbian Second Army and failed to take Pirot
Pirot
Pirot is a town and municipality located in south-eastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 38,432, while the population of the municipality is 57,911...
. However the Bulgarian advance in the north was proceeding more rapidly and the taking of Knjaževac
Knjaževac
Knjaževac is a town and municipality situated in the eastern part of Serbia bordering the Republic of Bulgaria and is part of Timočka Krajina region. It is found between the latitudes of 43°20' and 43°45' north and between the longitudes 22°11' and 22°41' east. The town is situated between three...
by the "Tundzha" division eventually forced the Serbians to pull out of Pirot
Pirot
Pirot is a town and municipality located in south-eastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 38,432, while the population of the municipality is 57,911...
in order to avoid encirclement. This was a minor success for the Bulgarians which captured 14 cannons and c. 1,500 prisoners but the main Serbian forces were allowed to retreat in good order.
Faced with the war on several fronts the Serbian High Command decided that it is best for the army to try to hold its opponents for as long as possible and retreat slowly to the south, southwest until help arrived from the Allies who had landed in Thesaloniki. Under these circumstances the renewed drive of the Bulgarian Army faced determined resistance but it was not enough to prevent the fall of Aleksinac
Aleksinac
Aleksinac is a town which is a center of Aleksinac Municipality, located in the Nišava District of Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a population of 16,420 inhabitants, while the municipality has 51,462.-Name:...
and on 23 October(5 November) 1915 the 9th "Pleven" division entered Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
where the Serbians had left some 42 old fortress cannons, several thousand rifles and a big amount of ammunitions, in addition around 5,000 soldiers surrendered or were captured by the Bulgarians. The Belgrade - Sofia railway was now opened for the Central Powers and a permanent land connection was established. The Serbians however managed to destroy the bridges of the Morava
Morava
Morava is a Slavic river name. It may refer to:Rivers:* Great Morava in central Serbia** South Morava , tributary of the Great Morava** West Morava , tributary of the Great Morava...
river and slowed significantly the Bulgarian First Army which spend the time between 24 and 31 October in unsuccessful attempts to cross the river. This marked the end of the Morava Offensive.
Having suffered heavy loses the Serbian Army retreated towards Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
where they prepared to make their last stand. The Central Powers meanwhile prepared a plan to encircle the Serian forces. The Bulgarian High Command and the headquarters of Army Group "Mackensen" agreed to pursue relentlessly the retreating opponent, to cut its possible retreat routes through Macedonia and to undertake a decisive advance towards Pristina
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
and prevent a Serbian retreat to the west. The plan required the Bulgarian First Army to attack from the east, a detached part of the Second Bulgarian Army from the South, the Eleventh army
11th Army (Germany)
The 11th Army was a World War I and a World War II field army.-World War I:The 11th Army was formed in early 1915. It briefly fought on the Western Front during the Battle of Ypres, holding the line against the allied attack...
from the north and finally the main forces of the Third Army from the northwest while its XIX Army Corps blocks any Serbian retreat to the west. However after the fall of Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
the Germans began pulling out some of their forces from the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and the Bulgarian Sixth and Ninth divisions had been slowed by the swollen waters of the Morava
Morava
Morava is a Slavic river name. It may refer to:Rivers:* Great Morava in central Serbia** South Morava , tributary of the Great Morava** West Morava , tributary of the Great Morava...
and the destruction of its bridges. In these circumstances on 1 November the Central Powers began the Kosovo Offensive.
Contrary to the intentions of generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
Mackensen the advance of his armygroup proved to be difficult and slow due to bad roads, lack of supplies and the cold weather. This allowed the Serbians to gradually retreat in good order further into Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and to concentrate greater forces against the Northern Operations Group of the Second Bulgarian Army in an attempt to breakthrough and join the French and British forces advancing up the Vardar
Vardar
The Vardar or Axios is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is long, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of river is ....
valley. In view of these events on 6 November the 8th "Tundzha" division left the First Army and was placed under the command of the Northern Operations Group while the 6th "Bdin" division was ordered to redeploy around Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad is а city in southwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Province, with a population of about 74,302 . It lies on the banks of the Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River....
and Dupnitsa under the direct control of the Bulgarian high command. The exhausted Serbians failed to achieve their aims and in the face of the continued advance of the Bulgarian forces towards Pristina
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
from the east and the south ordered a general withdrawal . On 10 November the 9th "Pleven" division and the German 101st division
101st Infantry Division (German Empire)
The 101st Infantry Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed on May 3, 1915 and organized over the next few weeks. It was part of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in the spring of 1915...
entered the town but the successful retreat of the Serbian Army on the right bank of the river Sitnica
Sitnica
The Sitnica , is a long river in Kosovo. It flows into the Ibar River at Kosovska Mitrovica, and it's the longest river that flows completely within Kosovo's borders.- History :...
meant that its attempted encirclement had failed. This ended the second phase of the campaign.
After the defeat in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
the remnants of the Serbian Army began its retreat through Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
to the Adriatic coast. The Germans thought that the campaign was over and continued pulling out their troops from the front while the pursuit of the retreating opponent was left mostly to Bulgarian and Austro-Hungarian forces. On 24 November the 3rd "Balkan" division took Prizren
Prizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
and was placed under the command of the First Army. With the end of the campaign a general order for the regrouping of all Bulgarian forces was issued.The 9th division was moved to Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
-Prilep
Prilep
Prilep is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Macedonia. It has a population of 66,246 citizens. Prilep is known as "the city under Marko's Towers" because of its proximity to the towers of Prince Marko.-Name:...
area, the 1st "Sofia" division was ordered to concentrate around Kratovo, where it would remain under the direct control of the Bulgarian high command. The Cavalry division and the 8th "Tunzha" infantry division were also ordered to join the First Army.
Macedonian Front
With the successful conclusion of the Serbian campaign and withdrawal of the French and Btitish expeditionary forces back to Salonika the Bulgarian armies reached the Greek boarder. Under the influence of the German high command they were ordered not to cross into Greek territory. The Bulgarian Commander-in-Chief general Nikola ZhekovNikola Zhekov
Nikola Todorov Zhekov was the Minister of War of Bulgaria in 1915 and served as Commander-in-Chief from 1915 to 1918 during World War I.-Biography:...
remained concerned about the increasing Allied presence in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and insisted upon an attack on Salonika. Instead on 9 February 1916 during a meeting in the German military headquarters in Pleß
Pszczyna
Pszczyna is a town in southern Poland with 26,827 inhabitants within the immediate gmina rising to 50,121 inhabitants in the powiat, which includes the town of Pszczyna, itself, Brzeźce , Czarków , Ćwiklice , Jankowice , Łąka , Piasek , Poręba , Rudołtowice , Studzionka , Studzienice , Wisła...
he and the Chief of the General Staff von Falkenhayn
Erich von Falkenhayn
Erich von Falkenhayn was a German soldier and Chief of the General Staff during World War I. He became a military writer after World War I.-Early life:...
agreed to begin fortifying the positions that were already taken on the Greek boarder and to resolve the question of an offensive latter.
Since December 1915 the Bulgarian First Army consisted of the 8th, 9th, 3rd infantry divisions and the cavalry divisions and occupied a 140 kilometer front, from Debar
Debar
Debar is a city in the western part of the Republic of Macedonia, near the border with Albania, on the road from Struga to Gostivar. It is the seat of Debar Municipality.-Geography:...
and Struga
Struga
Struga is a town and popular tourist destination situated in the south-western region of the Republic of Macedonia, lying on the shore of Lake Ohrid. The town of Struga is the seat of Struga Municipality.-Etymology:...
to the bend of the river Cherna and the Vardar
Vardar
The Vardar or Axios is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is long, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of river is ....
. It remained part of Army Group "Mackensen", which had its headquarters in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, together with the Bulgarian 5th "Danube" division, the German 4th Reserve Corps and the German 210th composite brigade which formed the Eleventh Army
11th Army (Germany)
The 11th Army was a World War I and a World War II field army.-World War I:The 11th Army was formed in early 1915. It briefly fought on the Western Front during the Battle of Ypres, holding the line against the allied attack...
.
In the spring of 1916 as the Allies had finished fortifying the area around Salonica and it became obvious that no Bulgarian and German offensive was going to take place, the French and British forces moved up to the Greek boarder where they established contact with the Bulgarian forces. In the beginning of April the positions of the Eleventh Army were subjected to heavy artillery shelling and field marshal Mackensen requested the 9th "Pleven" infantry division to be given to that army so that it can consolidate its position. General Zhekov
Nikola Zhekov
Nikola Todorov Zhekov was the Minister of War of Bulgaria in 1915 and served as Commander-in-Chief from 1915 to 1918 during World War I.-Biography:...
agreed and ordered the division to leave the First Army, join the Eleventh Army and concentrate behind the German 4th Corps.
By 1 June the Entente forces were additionally strengthened by the arrival of some 115,488 Serbian soldiers, which were organized in three corps-sized formations called armies. The Allies now had over 313,000 troops in the theater which increased the Bulgarian concerns. By July Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
was preparing to enter the war on the side of the Entente
Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was the name given to the alliance among Britain, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
which placed Bulgaria in a difficult position facing a possible war on two fronts and in the beginning of August the French and British launched an offensive against the Bulgarian positions at Lake Dojran
Battle of Doiran (1916)
In the beginning of August 1916 three French and one British divisions with 45,000 men and 400 guns launched an offensive against the Bulgarian positions at Lake Dojran, defended by the Second Thracian Infantry Division. The attack began on 9 August with heavy artillery fire on the positions of the...
which convinced the Bulgarian high command that the Allies were preparing a general offensive. To counter these negative developments the Bulgarians planned an offensive of their own with both their flanks aiming to shorten the front line and influence Romania in its decision to enter the war.
The advance on the right flank was to be undertaken by the Bulgarian First Army which had the following order of battle in July 1916:
| Battalions | Men | Rifles | Machine guns | Cannons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army Staff, rear services etc. | 13,361 | 5,524 | |||
| Eigh "Tundzha" Infantry Division | 22 | 41,376 | 22,538 | 36 | 48 |
| 3/6 Infantry Brigade | 10 | 8,029 | 6,491 | 12 | 12 |
| Third Cavalry Brigade | 1,892 | 1,310 | 4 | ||
| Third "Balkan" Infantry Division | 21 | 42,777 | 26,953 | 36 | 48 |
| Army Units (15th IR, reserves etc.) | 4 | 7,946 | 7,000 | 20 | 66 |
| German Units | 1,987 | 987 | 24 | 12 | |
| Total | 57 | 117,368 | 70,803 | 128 | 190 |
The Germans finally agreed that an offensive was needed and on 12 August general Boyadzhiev received his orders from the headquarters of Army Group "Mackensen". Ther right wing of the army, consisting of the reinforced 8th infantry division (four and half infantry brigades,) was to advance and take Lerin
Florina
Florina is a town and municipality in mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'. It is also the Metropolitan seat for the region. It lies in the central part of Florina peripheral unit, of which it is the capital. Florina belongs to the periphery of West...
while parts of the 3rd division towards the Chegan mountain range and the village of the same name. General Boyadzhiev agreed to attack but had concerns regarding the final results of the offensive because his army was scattered on a 140 km front and lacked enough mountain and heavy artillery.
Facing the Bulgarians were the six infantry and one cavalry divisions of the three Serbian armies.
The offensive began on 17 August 1916 with the Bulgarians taking Lerin
Florina
Florina is a town and municipality in mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'. It is also the Metropolitan seat for the region. It lies in the central part of Florina peripheral unit, of which it is the capital. Florina belongs to the periphery of West...
, Banitsa
Vevi
Vevi, rarely Veve is a village located in the municipal unit of Meliti in Florina peripheral unit, Macedonia, Greece. The village is passed by two national roads which lead to Thessaloniki, Florina, Amyntaio, and Kozani...
and Kastoria
Kastoria
Kastoria is a city in northern Greece in the periphery of West Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria peripheral unit. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains...
. The advance however soon ran into difficulty and slowed down considerably due to the increased Serbian resistance. The fighting was especially heavy on the bare rocky slopes of the Chegan Mountain and the Nidže
Voras Mountains
The Voras Mountains are a mountain range in the Pella Prefecture of Macedonia, Greece, situated in the north-west of the prefecture on the border with the Republic of Macedonia. The tallest peak in the range is Kaimakchalan at ....
. The Serbians were constantly reinforced with new artillery and fresh troops thanks to railway that reached the battlefield while the Bulgarians soon began depleting their ammunition stocks. This and the slow advance forced the Bulgarian high command to call off all attacks on 27 August and order the forces to dig in on the occupied positions between Lake Ostrovo
Vegoritida
Vegoritida is a former municipality in the Pella regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Edessa, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 4,180 . The seat of the municipality was in Arnissa....
, Lake Petrovsko and along the ridges of the Nidže
Voras Mountains
The Voras Mountains are a mountain range in the Pella Prefecture of Macedonia, Greece, situated in the north-west of the prefecture on the border with the Republic of Macedonia. The tallest peak in the range is Kaimakchalan at ....
. For the next several days the Bulgarian positions were subjected to heavy artillery fire and few Serbian attacks that were repulsed. The so called Chegan Offensive also known as the Lerin
Florina
Florina is a town and municipality in mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'. It is also the Metropolitan seat for the region. It lies in the central part of Florina peripheral unit, of which it is the capital. Florina belongs to the periphery of West...
Offensive had failed. It failed to influence Romania which entered the war on the side of the Allies
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
but also failed to achieve its final military objective to take the Chegan village and the pass north of Lake Ostrovo
Vegoritida
Vegoritida is a former municipality in the Pella regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Edessa, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 4,180 . The seat of the municipality was in Arnissa....
.
General Maurice Sarrail
Maurice Sarrail
Maurice-Paul-Emmanuel Sarrail was a French general of the First World War. Sarrail endeared himself to the political elite of the Third Republic through his openly socialist views, all the more conspicuous in contrast to the Catholics, conservatives and monarchists who dominated the French Army...
now prepared a counter attack against the First Bulgarian Army that would eventually develop in the Monastir Offensive
Monastir Offensive
Monastir Offensive was an Allied military operation against the forces of the Central Powers during World War I, intended to break the deadlock on the Macedonian Front by forcing the capitulation of Bulgaria and relieving the pressure on Romania. The offensive took the shape of a large battle and...
. The blow was to be directed against the right wing of the First Army which consisted of the Third infantry brigade of the 6th "Bdin" division, the Third cavalry brigade and the 8th "Tundzha" and First infantry brigade of the Third "Balkan" infantry division or in total about 36 infantry battalions, 74 machine guns and 35 artillery batteries. Against them were arrayed the Serbian Third Army
Third Army (Serbia)
The Serbian Third Army was a Serbian field army that fought during World War I.During the First Balkan War, the Third Army participated in the Battle of Kumanovo along with the Serbian First Army and the Serbian Second Army...
and the divisional group of general Cordonnier.
The offensive began with the battle of Malka Nidzhe
Battle of Malka Nidzhe
The Battle of Malka Nidzhe also known as the Battle of Gornichevo was the opening battle of the Monastir Offensive. It lasted for three days and ended in victory for the Entente forces.-Background:...
on 12 September 1916. After two days of fighting the Serbians achieved a breakthrough around Gornichevo
Kelli, Florina
Kella is a village in the Amyntaio municipality of the Florina Prefecture, Greece.The village was first mentioned in an Ottoman defter of 1468, where it is listed under the name of Gorničevo and described as a small settlement of thirty households. A second defter of 1481 records that the number...
and forced the Bulgarian 8th division to retreat. Meanwhile the battle for Kajmakcalan
Battle of Kajmakcalan
The Battle of Kajmakchalan was a battle of the Macedonian Front in World War I. The battle was part of the greater military World War I campaign between the Kingdom of Serbia, on the Allied Side, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria, on the Central Powers...
also began. The fall of Lerin
Florina
Florina is a town and municipality in mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'. It is also the Metropolitan seat for the region. It lies in the central part of Florina peripheral unit, of which it is the capital. Florina belongs to the periphery of West...
on 23 September and the retreat of the Bulgarian First Army forced some changes in the Central powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
command structure. On 27 September general Kliment Boyadzhiev
Kliment Boyadzhiev
Kliment Boyadzhiev was a Bulgarian General during the Balkan Wars and First World War.Born in Ohrid, he studied in an elementary school there. After the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878 he emigrated to Sofia...
was replaced as commander of the First Army by general Dimitur Geshov. The Army itself exchanged headquarters with the Eleventh Army
11th Army (Germany)
The 11th Army was a World War I and a World War II field army.-World War I:The 11th Army was formed in early 1915. It briefly fought on the Western Front during the Battle of Ypres, holding the line against the allied attack...
, now under the command of general Arnold von Winkler, and came under the new Army Group "Below
Otto von Below
Otto von Below was a Prussian general. He was born at and died at Danzig .Before World War I, Otto von Below became major-general in 1909 and lieutenant-general in 1912. On August 1, 1914 he took command of the I. Reserve Corps, which on the outbreak of the war was to be assigned to the Eight Army...
", replacing Army Group "Mackensen" which was dissolved on the Macedonian Front on 30 July 1916 as field marshal Mackensen was needed in Northern Bulgaria to take command of the forces concentrating for the operations against Romania. The former units of the First Army, now under German command, continued fighting around Monastir
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...
till December when the Allied offensive was finally halted.
The new Bulgarian First Army now consisted of the Fifth "Danube" Infantry Division on the western bank of the Vardar
Vardar
The Vardar or Axios is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is long, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of river is ....
, the Ninth "Pleven" Infantry Division between the Vardar and Lake Dojran, one brigade from the Eleventh "Macedonian" Infantry Division from Lake Dojran to the Belasica
Belasica
Belasica is a mountain range in the region of Macedonia in Southeastern Europe, shared by northwestern Greece , southeastern Republic of Macedonia and southwestern Bulgaria...
Mountain. For the rest of 1916 its sector saw only secondary fighting.
On 21 April 1917 general Otto von Below
Otto von Below
Otto von Below was a Prussian general. He was born at and died at Danzig .Before World War I, Otto von Below became major-general in 1909 and lieutenant-general in 1912. On August 1, 1914 he took command of the I. Reserve Corps, which on the outbreak of the war was to be assigned to the Eight Army...
was called to the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
and was replaced by general Friedrich von Scholtz
Friedrich von Scholtz
Friedrich von Scholtz was a German general, who served as commander of 20th Corps and the 8th Army of the German Empire on the Eastern Front in World War I and later as commander of Army Group "Sholtz" on the Macedonian Front.-Early life:Growing up in Ballenstedt his military career began in 1870...
who established a new army group bearing his name and composed of the Eleventh and First armies.
During that time general Maurice Sarrail
Maurice Sarrail
Maurice-Paul-Emmanuel Sarrail was a French general of the First World War. Sarrail endeared himself to the political elite of the Third Republic through his openly socialist views, all the more conspicuous in contrast to the Catholics, conservatives and monarchists who dominated the French Army...
attempted a new offensive aiming to break the Macedonian Front. The British were the first to attack the Ninth "Pleven" Division around Lake Dojran on 22 April. They were followed by the Serbians and the French who attack through the Cherna Loop in May. This offensive however proved a big disappointment as the French who took the Yarebichina peak from the Fifth "Danube" Division were driven back by the Bulgarians and the British suffered a heavy defeat in the Second Battle of Dojran
Battle of Doiran (1917)
During the Second conference of the Military Counsel of the Entente in Chanties, it was decided to continue with the attempts at a breakthrough. The task for the Entente forces on the Macedonian Front was to inflict major defeats on the Bulgarian army and effect a wide breakthrough in the Balkans...
. By 23 May the offensive was canceled and the Allies began fortifying their positions in expectation of a Bulgarian counter-offensive which never came. Then for a period of almost one year there were only a few local actions along the entire front.
By 1918 the Bulgarian positions in Macedonia had deteriorated drastically as the morale of the forces decreased due to lack of supplies and ammunition. Then in May the positions of the First Army in the sector of the Fifth Division were attacked by the Greek Army, which had officially joined the Allied forces in 1917. In the ensuing Battle of Skra-di-Legen at the peak of Yarebichina the Bulgarians lost almost their entire 49th Infantry Regiment. This victory was of little strategic value to the Allies but it sapped the morale
Morale
Morale, also known as esprit de corps when discussing the morale of a group, is an intangible term used to describe the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others...
of the Bulgarian troops in the sector. After the battle general Nikola Zhekov
Nikola Zhekov
Nikola Todorov Zhekov was the Minister of War of Bulgaria in 1915 and served as Commander-in-Chief from 1915 to 1918 during World War I.-Biography:...
, general Sholtz and crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
Boris
Boris III of Bulgaria
Boris III the Unifier, Tsar of Bulgaria , originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver , son of Ferdinand I, came to the throne in 1918 upon the abdication of his father, following the defeat of the Kingdom of Bulgaria during World War I...
arrived at the headquarters of the Fifth Division to inquire for the causes of the defeat. They reinforced the division with the 80th infantry regiment and planned a demonstrative attack along the Struma
Struma
The Struma was a ship chartered to carry Jewish refugees from Axis-allied Romania to British-controlled Palestine during World War II. On February 23, 1942, with its engine inoperable and its refugee passengers aboard, Turkish authorities towed the ship from Istanbul harbor through the Bosphorus...
by the Second Army
Second Army (Bulgaria)
The Bulgarian Second Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II.-History:After 1907, during times of peace, the territory of Bulgaria was divided in three army inspectorates , each one comprising three divisional district. During war they formed three...
in order to retake the heights. The plan however never went into action as the morale of the forces in the Fifth Division was so low that an attack was impossible. General Zhekov then sought to remedy the situations by replacing the commander of the First Army general Dimitur Geshov with the former commander of the Ninth "Pleven" Division general Stefan Nerezov
Stefan Nerezov
Stefan Mikhailov Nerezov was a Bulgarian General and Chief of the Bulgarian Army Staff.-Biography:Stefan Nerezov was born in Sevlievo, at the time part of the Ottoman Empire...
.
Morale in some parts of the front however remained critical as news about German misfortunes in the Western Front reached the troops on the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
the few remaining German troops in Macedonia were being pulled out and the deprivations in the Bulgarian Army continued. The new commander of the Allied Salonica forces Franchet d'Esperey planned to take advantage of this by organizing a new great offensive in Macedonia. For that purpose he gathered a force of 28 divisions or between 670,000 and 717,000 men with over 2,000 artillery pieces, 2609 machine guns and 200 airplanes. The main blow was to be delivered against the German Eleventh Army, which by now consisted almost entirely by Bulgarian units at Dobro Pole, with secondary attacks to the west around Bitola
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...
and to the east against the Bulgarian First Army at Lake Doiran .
In September 1918 the First Army had the following order of battle:
| Front line in km | Battalions | Machine guns | Cannons | Mine throwers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fifth "Danube" Infantry Division | 25 | 24 | 267 | 188 | 53 |
| Mountain Division | 19 | 9 | 92 | 69 | 16 |
| Ninth "Pleven" Infantry Division | 10 | 17 | 184 | 119 | 34 |
| 1/11 Infantry Brigade | 12 | 6 | 64 | 24 | |
| Army Reserve | 7 | 56 | |||
| Total | 57 | 63 | 663 | 400 | 103 |
For the operations against the Bulgarian First Army the Allied command designated the forces of general Milne
George Milne, 1st Baron Milne
Field Marshal George Francis Milne, 1st Baron Milne, GCB, GCMG, DSO , was a British military commander who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff from 1926 to 1933.-Army career:...
. Those consisted of 4 British and 2 Greek infantry divisions or about 66 battalions with 300 artillery pieces and 400 machine guns. General Milne decided to deliver his main blow against the 9th Division while a secondary attack was planned against the 1st brigade of the 11th Infantry Division.
The Allied Vardar Offensive
Vardar Offensive
The Vardar Offensive that took place between 14 and 29 of September 1918 was the last major military operation on the Macedonian Front during World War I...
opened on 15 September 1918 with the Battle of Dobro Pole
Battle of Dobro Pole
The Battle of Dobro Pole was a World War I battle, fought on 15 September 1918. The battle resulted in a decisive Entente victory, with a defeated Bulgaria left to sign an armistice, which removed it from World War I....
and after a relative short struggle a breakthrough was achieved. On the next day at Lake Doiran the Allies began a two-day artillery barrage
Barrage (artillery)
A barrage is a line or barrier of exploding artillery shells, created by the co-ordinated aiming of a large number of guns firing continuously. Its purpose is to deny or hamper enemy passage through the line of the barrage, to attack a linear position such as a line of trenches or to neutralize...
in which more than 300,000 ordinary and gas shells were fired on the Bulgarian positions. Unlike at Dobro Pole however the troops in the Doiran sector preserved their high morale due to the personal inspection of the battlefield that the army commander general Nerezov made and the skillful leadership of the commander of the division general Vladimir Vazov
Vladimir Vazov
Vladimir Minchev Vazov was a Bulgarian officer. He led the Bulgarian forces during the successful defensive operation at Dojran during the First World War.-Biography:...
. In addition the two commanders had regrouped their forces in such a way that a sufficient reserve of two regiments was immediately available. The modern and well build fortifications also made the casualties from the barrage extremely low. So when the Allied infantry began advancing the Bulgarians were ready to meet them with all their available forces. The result was a two-day bloody battle in which the British and Greeks suffered a heavy defeat. In fact the victory was so encouraging that general Nerezov was preparing for a counter-attack with his army supported by the neighboring Second Army
Second Army (Bulgaria)
The Bulgarian Second Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II.-History:After 1907, during times of peace, the territory of Bulgaria was divided in three army inspectorates , each one comprising three divisional district. During war they formed three...
which until now had remained completely inactive. In addition he could also rely on the Fourth Army
Fourth Army (Bulgaria)
The Bulgarian Fourth Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II....
, further down the Struma
Struma
The Struma was a ship chartered to carry Jewish refugees from Axis-allied Romania to British-controlled Palestine during World War II. On February 23, 1942, with its engine inoperable and its refugee passengers aboard, Turkish authorities towed the ship from Istanbul harbor through the Bosphorus...
. In this decisive moment on 19 September the acting commander-in-chief general Georgi Todorov
Georgi Todorov (general)
Georgi Stoyanov Todorov was a Bulgarian General who fought in the Russo-Turkish War , Serbo-Bulgarian War , Balkan Wars and First World War .-Biography:At the age of 19 he volunteered in the Bulgarian Corps during the Russo-Turkish...
met with general Friedrich von Scholtz
Friedrich von Scholtz
Friedrich von Scholtz was a German general, who served as commander of 20th Corps and the 8th Army of the German Empire on the Eastern Front in World War I and later as commander of Army Group "Sholtz" on the Macedonian Front.-Early life:Growing up in Ballenstedt his military career began in 1870...
to decide what to do. The question of a counter offensive with the right wing of the Eleventh Army and the Bulgarian First Army was put forward but was quickly dismissed by the Germans as impossible. In addition no real reinforcements from them were going to arrive on time. During this period of hesitation the danger to the right flank of the First Army grew and it was finally ordered to retreat. The defeated British took advantage of this and began perusing. In the next several days the situation deteriorated and several thousand Bulgarian soldiers revolted and headed towards Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
and on 27 September they proclaimed the overthrow of the monarchy. During this time the Bulgarian government was under pressure from all sides and finally decided to begin negotiations so on 29 September the Salonika Armistice was concluded. The First Army was demobilized on 15 October 1918.
Commanders
- Lieutenant General Kliment BoyadzhievKliment BoyadzhievKliment Boyadzhiev was a Bulgarian General during the Balkan Wars and First World War.Born in Ohrid, he studied in an elementary school there. After the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878 he emigrated to Sofia...
(11.09.1915 - 25.09.1916) - Lieutenant General Dimitar Geshov (25.09.1916 - 30.07.1918)
- Lieutenant General Stefan NerezovStefan NerezovStefan Mikhailov Nerezov was a Bulgarian General and Chief of the Bulgarian Army Staff.-Biography:Stefan Nerezov was born in Sevlievo, at the time part of the Ottoman Empire...
(30.07.1918 - 15.10.1918)
World War II for the Axis
Throughout 1940 and 1941, the Kingdom of BulgariaKingdom of Bulgaria
The Kingdom of Bulgaria was established as an independent state when the Principality of Bulgaria, an Ottoman vassal, officially proclaimed itself independent on October 5, 1908 . This move also formalised the annexation of the Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia, which had been under the control...
, under Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Boris III, allied itself with Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, entered the regained Southern Dobrudja, and captured Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
, and much of Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
in the process. In the Bulgarian Army, there were four or five field armies, including the First Army, and some 30 divisions. In the spring of 1942, Hitler requested Boris' help controlling occupied Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. The Tsar allowed the Führer to use his First Army, and so the First Army began its occupation duty in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, which was full of partisans and resistance.
World War II for the Allies
In early September 1944, the rapidly advancing Red ArmyRed Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
reached the northern border of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
continued fighting the guerrillas in Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
and Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
, but also turned their guns on the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. By the end of the month the First Army, together with the Bulgarian Second
Second Army (Bulgaria)
The Bulgarian Second Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II.-History:After 1907, during times of peace, the territory of Bulgaria was divided in three army inspectorates , each one comprising three divisional district. During war they formed three...
and Fourth Armies, was in full-scale combat against the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
along the Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
-Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
border, with Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
n guerrillas on their left flank and a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
force on their right. At this time the First Army consisted of three 10,000-men divisions.
By December 1944, the First Army numbered 99,662 men. The First Army took part in the Bulgarian Army's advance northwards into the Balkan Peninsula with logistical support and under command of the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
. The First Army, along with the rest of the Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n forces, advanced into Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in the spring of 1945, despite heavy casualties and bad conditions in the winter. Because of the army's equipment shortages, on March 14, 1945, the Soviets agreed to provide the Bulgarians 344 aircraft, 65 T-34 tanks, 410 guns, 115 anti-aircraft guns, 370 mortars, 370 transport vehicles, and some 30,000 small arms, all free of charge.
During 1944-45, the Bulgarian First Army was commanded by Lieutenant-General Vladimir Stoychev
Vladimir Stoychev
Vladimir Dimitrov Stoychev was a Bulgarian Colonel General, diplomat and horse rider.Vladimir Stoychev was born in Sofia, the capital of the Principality of Bulgaria. He graduated from the Theresian Military Academy in Vienna, and the Military School and the Military Academy in Sofia...
.